RALEIGH – As two candidates who ran in 2014 on the values of protecting North Carolina’s natural resources, Representatives John Ager and Brian Turner turned those promises into action during the 2015 legislative session. Those efforts earned them recognition as “Rising Stars” at the NC League of Conservation Voters’ annual Green Tie Awards Wednesday night in Raleigh.
Rep. Ager and Turner join the ranks of fellow western legislators Rep. Susan Fisher and Senator Terry Van Duyn as Green Tie award recipients. Both freshman legislators earned a perfect 100 in NCLCV’s 2015 legislative scorecard because of their votes on key environmental bills. This included voting to continue growing North Carolina’s successful clean, renewable energy sector and voting against the dangerous “Polluter Protection Act,” a bill that eliminated air quality monitors and now allows companies to “self-report” environmental damage with little to no consequences.
This annual event hosted by NCLCV, an environmental advocacy nonprofit, seeks to honor conservation champions who have stepped up, spoken out and been vocal advocates for environmental issues at the General Assembly and in the public.
Other 2016 Green Tie Award recipients include:
- Senator Floyd McKissick – Senator of the Year
- Representative Paul Luebke – Representative of the Year
- Representative Gale Adcock – Rising Star
- Representative Cecil Brockman – Rising Star
- Representative Brad Salmon – Rising Star
- Representative Shelly Willingham – Rising Star
- Representative Ralph Johnson (posthumously) – Rising Star
- Senator Josh Stein – Defender of the Environment
- Representative Rick Glazier – “The Joe”
- Frank Tursi, Editor, Coastal Review Online; NC Coastal Federation – Catalyst Award
- Melvin Montford, Executive Director, NC A. Philip Randolph Institute – Catalyst Award
- Nina Szlosberg-Landis, NCLCV Board Member – Jane Sharp Lifetime Achievement Award
“Elected officials like Representatives Ager and Turner are shining examples of what it means to be a dedicated public servant. They delivered on their promise to be champions for clean air and water, even during some of the most contentious debates at the General Assembly. We are grateful for their leadership in prioritizing the people and places of this great state,” said Dan Crawford, NCLCV director of governmental relations.
This year’s Green Tie Awards was held at the Marbles Kids Museum on Wednesday, May 11. In its ninth year, the Green Tie Awards brought together individuals who are concerned about protecting North Carolina’s quality of life, whether as elected officials, clean energy business owners, community leaders, conservation nonprofits or concerned citizens.
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NC League of Conservation Voters is a statewide lobbying organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enhancing North Carolina’s natural environment. NCLCV has been working to protect North Carolina’s environment and our citizen’s health for nearly 50 years, turning environmental values into North Carolina priorities. NCLCV’s vision for the future of North Carolina is that all citizens and our elected decision-makers will better understand and appreciate North Carolina’s unique natural environment, and the integral role it plays in North Carolina’s economy and quality of life. Visit nclcv.org for more information.
